Durga Puja, devoted to the
Goddess Durga, is held in remembrance of the victory of Durga over
Mahishasura, the buffalo-headed demon. Durga Puja is celebrated mainly in
West Bengal and eastern India during
Navratri. Durga Puja is to propitiate
Shakti, to give all wealth, auspiciousness, prosperity, knowledge and all other potent powers.
Durga Puja is celebrated with gaiety and devotion through community worship in West Bengal. Huge decorative temporary structures called 'pandals' are constructed to house the idols of Durga in various forms and sizes. These idols are of exquisite beauty and are worshipped with flowers and beating of drums. The drum beating in itself is a specialty during the Pujas. Idols of Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesh and Kartikeya are also housed in these pandals. Cultural functions are held during these days.
On the tenth day, the idols are carried in a triumphal procession to the nearby river and ceremonially immersed. The procession, a great spectacle, is accompanied by drumbeats. Dussehra is celebrated on this day in some parts of the country.
